Pet Food Ingredient Importers Sentenced in Kansas City Federal Court
A U.S. magistrate judge has sentenced to three years of probation the couple who owned the company that imported melamine-tainted pet food ingredients into the United States from China. Sally Qing Miller, a Chinese national, and her husband, Stephen Miller, were also barred from importing pet food ingredients and were each ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. According to a press release, no further restitution was required “in light of a $24 million settlement in a related civil suit reached in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.” Their company, ChemNutra, Inc. was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. The Food and Drug Administration has reportedly estimated that 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died after eating the contaminated food in 2007.
Sally Miller was quoted as saying, “I’m really, really sorry this happened. I hope through this tragic, unfortunate event, the whole industry can learn from us, from the mistake.” While the evidence did not show that she and her husband knew the tainted ingredients would kill animals, they did not apparently exercise due diligence to ensure the product was safe. Counsel for the Millers reportedly indicated that ChemNutra’s business activities have ceased, but that the couple have started a new import business. See The Kansas City Star, Office of the U.S. Attorney, W.D. Mo., News Release, February 5, 2010.
